Reebok 2015 Annual Report Download - page 101

GROUP MANAGEMENT REPORT – OUR GROUP
Sustainability
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Sport Infinity: Also in 2015, the adidas Group announced ‘Sport Infinity’, a research project led by
adidas and funded by the European Commission, bringing together a variety of industry and academic
experts. The aim of the project is to develop a material that can be endlessly recycled using a waste-
free, adhesive-free process. As a result, sporting goods could be constantly recycled. Sport Infinity is
the next step in the Group’s commitment to innovation and adds to our goal of closing the sustainability
loop. Further information can be found on our website.
2) Going mainstream with Better Cotton and recycled polyester: Environmentally preferred materials
have replaced conventional materials in many of our footwear and apparel products. With the increased
use of more sustainable materials such as Better Cotton and recycled polyester we are constantly reducing
our impact on the environment.
•Better Cotton: The adidas Group is committed to increasing the sourcing volumes of cotton from the
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) over the next years. The BCI aims to reduce the use of pesticides, but
also promotes efficient water use, crop rotation and fair working conditions. In 2015, we exceeded our
target of 40% by sourcing 43% of all our cotton as Better Cotton, which is a great step towards our 2018
target to source 100% of cotton in our products as sustainable cotton. ‘Sustainable cotton’ in this sense
means Better Cotton, certified organic cotton or any other form of sustainably produced cotton that is
currently available or might be in future.
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Recycled polyester: Using recycled polyester has many benefits over virgin polyester. It helps us reduce
our dependency on petroleum, allows us to discharge less waste and keeps polyester from ending up
in landfills. While virgin polyester is made from petroleum, recycled polyester is made from recycled
waste, such as plastic bottles and used clothing, which is processed and spun into fibres. We are using
recycled PES in more and more of our apparel and footwear.
3) Rigorous control for safe products: We have specified clear standards for the use of restricted
substances that follow the strictest local regulations and best-practice standards for consumer care and
safety. The Restricted Substances Policy for product materials prohibits, for example, the use of chemicals
considered harmful or toxic, the sourcing or processing of raw materials from any endangered or threatened
species, as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
in its red list and also prohibits using leathers, hides or skins from animals that have been inhumanely
treated, whether these animals are wild or farmed. They are mandatory for all business partners and are
updated regularly based on findings in our ongoing dialogue with scientific organisations. Both our own
quality assurance laboratories and external testing institutes are used to constantly monitor material
samples to ensure supplier compliance with these requirements. Materials that do not meet our standards
and specifications are rejected.
IMPROVING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINTATOUR SITES
As part of our Green Company programme we set ourselves ambitious targets for 2015 that resulted in
continuous improvements in the environmental impacts of our own operations. These clear and measurable
Group-wide targets helped us to improve considerably in the areas of energy, water and paper consumption,
carbon emissions and reduction of household waste. Results will be available in our annual Green Company
Performance Analysis 2015.
During 2015, we developed the second generation of our Green Company programme, including targets to
be achieved by 2020. These new targets build on our seven years of achievements and also demonstrate
our continued focus on industry leadership in environmental stewardship. Some highlights include science-
based targets for carbon reduction and context-based water reduction targets. In addition, we expanded
the scope of the Green Company programme to our own stores globally.
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